Lunch dates and floating cats
by wayward-angel3
Summary: Carlos entered Cecil's office with a nervous expression and one thought. And left leaving Cecil with a giant grin. A grin even Steve Carlsberg couldn't remove if he tried.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: wooo first Welcome to Night Vale fic! I don't know if I'm going to continue but please review and tell me your thoughts :)**

**enjoy.**

"And now a word from our sponsors..."

The door to Cecil's office creaked open and a curly haired man poked his head in.

"Ah, Cecil?" a low voice asked tentatively.

Cecil spun around in his chair as a grin grew on his pale face.

"Carlos!" he proclaimed. "What can I do for you?"

Carlos the scientist looked around nervously.

"Should I point out that there is a cat floating in the bathroom?" he asked finally, his voice tinged with concern.

"Oh, yes," Cecil replied happily. "You could say I adopted him." Carlos nodded slowly.

"Well then," he muttered, running his hand through his perfect hair.

"Is that all you came here about?" Cecil pondered persistently while absent-mindedly messing with his microphone.

"Um, w-well," Carlos muttered. "I was wondering if you would like to have lunch with me." He paused and blushed. "For scientific matters, of course, to get to know Night Vale better."

Cecil smiled like a little boy.

"Neat!" he said without thinking. His smile faded. "I-I mean, I'd be pleased to."

Carlos nodded, his dark hair bouncing.

"W-well then I'll see you tomorrow?" Carlos checked.

"Of course," Cecil replied. Carlos smiled slightly, then backed out of the room.

Cecil waited till he was gone, then laughed aloud and turned his mic back on.

"Hello, listeners of Night Vale. I have excellent news. Carlos with his perfect hair just came in to ask me to go to lunch with him. Do you know what this means, listeners? It means that he has finally realized that we were meant for each other. Now nothing can ruin my day. Not even Steve Carlsberg. And now, the weather."

He turned on the music, and leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of his coffee. The only thing on his mind was Carlos, perfect Carlos, going-out-to-lunch-with Carlos, the-best-scientist-in-Night-Vale Carlos, and most importantly, his Carlos. The music faded out. It was Cecil's cue.

"Hello, again listeners. Another reminder that Carlos asked me to go to lunch with him. Alright back to the program. News from the city council says..."

He continued on with the regular news, sometimes trailing off in more thought about the scientist.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: the day has arrived!**

"And now the weather..."

Cecil turned up the music. He spun around in his chair and walked to the bathroom. He pushed open the door and stood in front of the furthest sink, where the cat was happily floating. Cecil scratched it behind the ear as it purred softly. He looked in the mirror. He had to look decent for Carlos, who always looked perfect. Cecil smoothed his tousled blond hair, suddenly envying Carlos's perfect curls. His violet eyes stared back at him. He had small bags under his eyes, but besides that, he looked pretty good. He smoothed his white shirt and straightened his tie. Cecil started going over a conversation in his head.

_Hello, Carlos._

_That lab coat looks very nice._

_How are the experiments coming?_

_Anything interesting in the unusual town of Night Vale?_

Harmless comments, nothing embarrassing. Nothing like "Neat!" or anything stupid.

Cecil sighed, and smiled at his reflection. This was going to be the best lunch ever.

He walked briskly back to his studio for his temporary goodbye.

"Hello, listeners. As you heard from before, I am going out to lunch with perfect Carlos in exactly 4 minutes and...38 seconds. So I will be on a, let's say, hour break? Maybe if I'm lucky it will be longer. So long, listeners. Wish me luck."

With his final farewell to his loyal listeners, he turned off the mic, the ON AIR sign flashing before going dim.

There was a knock on his door. Cecil smiled to himself.

"Um, come in!" he called. Carlos stepped in and smirked at Cecil nervously. Cecil stood up a bit too quickly, sending his swivel chair twirling into his desk. A few pencils rolled off and hit the floor. Cecil felt his cheeks redden.

"So shall we go?" Carlos broke in.

"Yes," Cecil agreed, and they walked out of the studio. They exited the Night Vale Broadcast building with an awkward silence hovering over their heads.

"Where are we eating?" Cecil asked, hoping to start a conversation.

"Big Rico's okay?" Carlos inquired in return. Cecil smiled to himself. _No one does a slice like Big Rico's_.

"Sure," he responded plainly. The silence took over again. Cecil looked down at Carlos's hand. His long fingers hung lazily by the hem of his lab coat. It was almost impossible to fight the temptation to slide his pale fingers through Carlos's. Cecil crossed his arms to keep him from doing anything too forward or out of line. The two finally arrived at Big Rico's after a very uncomfortable walk. Cecil wished he had brought his tape recorder with him so he at least had something to do except count all the cracks in the sidewalk. They walked under the flashing sign that read BIG RICO'S PIZZA in bright red letters. Carlos led them to a booth, where they plopped down across from each other. Cecil sighed. He could just stare at Carlos's perfect face all day. His dark curly hair, which framed his visage and square jaw exceptionally. His eyes were brown, but they weren't a plain, regular brown, they were soft and intricate. His nose was narrow and fit with the rest of his features perfectly. Under that was his mouth, which Cecil so badly wished would meet his own.

"Cecil?" Carlos's perfect voice interrupted his daydream. Cecil looked up and blinked, a bit startled. "Are you good with pepperoni? Or do you want vegetables?"

"I'm good with anything," Cecil replied, staring dreamily.

Cecil sat in his studio and stared out the window. He could see the red Arby's sign flashing in the darkness. He sighed and spoke into the microphone.

"Well, listeners, I am a bit disappointed. No, I am very disappointed. The lunch date with perfect Carlos the Scientist did not go as planned."

He paused and leaned his head down on the desk.

"It wasn't so bad. We went to Big Rico's of course, that's where everyone goes. We talked a bit, but listeners, now I am beginning to wonder if Carlos actually likes me. If he fell in love with as fast as I fell in love with him. Do we even have a chance together? Tell me this, listeners, am I just wasting my time?"

Cecil sighed again, rubbing his head.

"Goodnight, listeners, goodnight."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: sorry, all of these chapters are pretty short :P**

The next morning, Cecil wasn't feeling any better. He yawned as he slid into his chair and turned to his mic.

"Find an apple. Let it swim in the ocean and wait for it to evolve. Welcome to Night Vale. Before I start with the daily broadcast, I would like to make a special request. If a certain _scientist_ is listening to this station, I would like to ask for a second chance. A second lunch."

He paused, letting his deep voice ring out across the radio wires. He composed himself and rubbed his temples before continuing.

"Now, news on the city council's decision..."

The regular newscast. Cecil once looked forward to his work, enjoying every moment, but now it seemed like a dull routine.

"The scientists, including perfe-" He stopped himself. "Including _Carlos_, have been investigating a strange incident at the Post Office. More on that later. Now, today's weather."

He turned on the music, which today was a slow, melancholy song. He leaned back in his chair and sighed sorrowfully. There was a small knock on his door. He turned around, hope lifting in his heart.

"Come in," he said. Carlos walked in slowly, a small, half-hearted smile on his face. Cecil felt a lump grow in his throat. The scientist kept his eyes fixed on the ground as he approached Cecil.

"I heard your broadcast," he said without looking up. Cecil couldn't speak. Carlos glanced up quickly with his perfect, yet worried eyes.

"I came to talk to you."

Cecil nodded, knowing that this day would come. The day that perfect Carlos told Cecil that he didn't love him. Carlos walked closer to Cecil, his eyes flickering around nervously. Then, without warning, Carlos leaned down kissed Cecil straight on the lips. Cecil gasped at the kiss, taken aback. Then he smiled, and kissed back fully. His thin, pinkish lips moved against Carlos's soft ones. After about ten seconds, Carlos pulled away, his dark cheeks hot with embarrassment. Cecil grinned childishly again, looking at Carlos with new hope. His mind racked with something to say. Nothing stupid, he reminded himself.

"That was, that was so-" he paused and beamed. "Neat!" As soon as the word came flying out of his mouth, his pale cheeks flushed.

"I-I'm sorry, I mean-"

He was interrupted by Carlos's deep laugh. It first came out as a chuckle, then grew into a giant, heart filling laugh. His shoulders bounced as he threw his head back. When he finally collected himself, he smiled at Cecil.

"Lunch tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course," Cecil responded. With that, Carlos turned around and sauntered out of the room.

Cecil spun around his chair, then grabbed the desk to steady himself and spoke into the radio.

"Well, listeners, my day just got ten times better. Not only did I plan another lunch date with perfect Carlos, I kissed him. That's right. _Kissed_ Carlos the scientist square on the lips. How about that? Did I ever tell you guys how perfect Carlos's lips are, or, of course, how perfect his kissing is? Well expect to hear a lot of it this week, listeners, because I'm sure there will be more. Also this week, there is said to be more angel sightings around Night Vale."

The only angel Cecil could think of was Carlos.

"The city council warns you not to associate with the angels, or else there may be consequences."

Cecil chuckled quietly, thinking of what punishments Carlos could come up with.

"So report to the city council straight away if you see one, and now a word from our sponsors."

Cecil read off the small note card in his hand, trying to keep his mind from traveling off to think about perfect Carlos. His heart and head felt light and fluttery, almost as if he could just fly away. Fly away with Carlos. Forever. He sighed dreamily, his strange, violet eyes staring out the window. He wished he could just kiss Carlos's perfect lips all day, all week, all year. A crash from Station Management snapped him back to reality.

"Sorry, listeners, I just started day dreaming there, and the station management is getting restless. So back to the news..."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: sorry about the wait guys! :3 school started so things are starting to get busier :( short chapter sorry :P I'm running low on ideas.**

"Breaking news from the Sheriff's secret police. They arrested the local tornado, yes, the one that had set up camp right outside the Whispering Forest. I personally like that tornado, it was nice and violently damaged Steve Carlsberg's house before settling down in its little camp. Such a lovely tornado. And now, the weather."

Cecil took a sip of steaming coffee from his mug. It was a new mug which said I LOVE SCIENCE. He was much more interested in science, after the kiss with Carlos. The perfect kiss with beautiful Carlos. The heart-lifted, day-changing, perfect kiss with lovely, amazing, beautiful Carlos. Their second lunch date was much more successful than the first. Instead of going to Big Rico's, they went to Gino's Italian Dining Experience and Grill and Bar. It was much nicer, and much more suited to their needs. They dined on salad and mushrooms and talked. Talked for ages. Talked about science, talked about Night Vale, talked about each other's hobbies.

Cecil was so happy. He was the happiest he had ever been. Ever.

They walked back to his lab arm in arm. Cecil explained to Carlos how things worked in the radio station. He almost started talking about Station Management, but immediately stopped himself.

They arrived at his lab, right next to Big Rico's. Carlos turned to face Cecil.

"I had a great time," he said, taking Cecil's pale hand in his dark one. Cecil smiled.

"Thank you, Carlos," he replied softly. Carlos cupped Cecil's cheek in his large hand, stroking his soft skin. Cecil stood up on his tiptoes and kissed Carlos. The scientist kissed back, wrapping his arms around Cecil. A man ran past them, screaming about some giant, buzzing creature, but neither of them even moved from their kiss. Cecil finally pulled away and gazed at perfect Carlos with his violet eyes.

"I definitely love you," Cecil muttered. Carlos chuckled.

"You are so...so," he paused, then beamed. "Neat!" Cecil blushed bright red in embarrassment. Carlos kissed the top of his head, right between his eyes.

"Come on," he said, taking Cecil's hand as he pushed open the door to his lab. Cecil gulped, and followed him inside and locked the door behind him.


End file.
